There is just something about airports. I don’t know about you but I bloat like a balloon as soon as I even think about getting on an airplane. It’s like a signal to my brain.. you are about to go to an airport. BLOAT TIME. It’s extremely uncomfortable, it can be a real pain to get rid of and you just never feel the best in any clothes you decide to wear. Even if it is just sweatpants for the journey.
It’s very common for me because I do have IBS issues, but one thing I do know is that I will never let it affect any of my plans for the day. I don’t like to miss out, I think most of you will agree with me and feel the same.
Bloating for me can be triggered by any particular drink, or food, or even if I was to eat something too quickly. Sometimes it just comes on and I have no idea why. The main major time when it happens is air travel as above and it can even take a few days for my stomach to settle down and finally feel comfortable again once I have landed somewhere new.
I love food and one of my favourite things is to go to a new country and try their local cuisine, or the countries traditional delicacy. But not all food is right for my stomach, clearly.
I don’t like to take any medication as I feel a natural approach is better. You don’t want to be taking piles of pills with you on every trip, what a waste of luggage space! As well, what if your body were so reliant on this medication as a solution, that when you ran out and couldn’t find any more when you are in the middle of nowhere in South East Asia, for example. What are you going to do? I have found some items which I know actually work for my body for getting bloat down and hopefully these items/tips can help you as well.
The first thing that I will always take with me on a trip is tea. Some people have their rituals for a morning cuppa. I use mine to heal and flatten my stomach back down, so I drink it when I can. If you boil water it gets rid of any nasty germs in that water so this is usually very easy to find. Either from a kettle in your hotel, hostel communal area or in a coffee shop – you could just ask for boiling water.
I take two teas with me, ‘PUKKA’ is the brand I use, ‘Three Ginger’ and ‘Three Mint’ are the names. Ginger and mint are both equally good at settling the tummy down. Ginger helps the best if you are having quite a windy day, we have all been there don’t worry. But what if all of a sudden you have to get into a transfer for a few hours and hold everything in! This is very uncomfortable, if you have ever experienced it, the pain of trapped wind hits you like a stabbing knife sometimes. Mint is good for just getting rid of bloat if you are about to go out for the evening and put on your favourite dress I usually have one (or two with the same tea bag) while getting ready.
The next for bloating is water. Just consist water, all the time. It sounds like such an obvious one, but when you feel bloated you just don’t want to put anything else in your stomach. For me I like to grab a big bottle, you know one of those two litres ones from any supermarket close by, and I will drink it within thirty minutes. Take it in slow sips, not big fast ones, cause you don’t want to me adding in extra air inside your tummy – this will just add to your uncomfortable state.
Go Vegan for the day! For anyone who is already Vegan, this of course doesn’t apply. Try and stay away from animal protein and dairy, even if it’s just for the next meal. It’s also best to stay away from carbs as well. I know, cry. But if you make sure your next meal is just full of vegetables this gets loads of vitamins and minerals inside your body it will help with the bloat and hopefully shift things along (if you haven’t been able to go in a few days).
Lay down on your left side, again another odd one, but just trust me. Make sure your body is stretched out rather than curled in a ball. Crunching your stomach can help relieve pain for a short period of time but in thirty minutes you won’t have made any progress towards the comfort goal. The way the intestines and stomach are placed within your body mean that your stomach will lay on your left side. The gastric acid will build up if you lay on your right and won’t have anywhere to escape causing a huge amount of discomfort. Whether you have trapped wind, eaten too much, or bloating just remember – lay on the left side. You should find things start to shift in about forty-five minutes. If you don’t have that amount of time, just lay down for as long as you can, still and stretched out.
It’s only a couple of tips and tricks but hopefully they will help if anyone has the same issues as me, or you encounter the same issues while abroad which you haven’t before.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me via my ‘contact me’ page.
LEAH HANCOX 